The Golden Age STC Template

Even after Cisrain's speech ended.

These enthusiastic subjects still didn't leave.

Their fervor was like the star above their heads, blazing and boiling.

Chief Financial Officer Mina listened attentively to Governor Cisrain's speech and noted down the key points. These would guide future financial proposals. Behind her, after hearing a report from one of her subordinates, her secretary hurriedly relayed the important details to her.

"Understood. You can go now."

It wasn't until the governor walked toward them that she went to meet him. Following Cisrain, she reported the news she had just received.

"Governor, we learned from the Xenos commander imprisoned on Tangle that the Tau Empire has colonized several predominantly human worlds. One worth noting is a forest world relatively close to Tangle Planet. They seem to have discovered some kind of technology from the Golden Age, tens of thousands of years ago."

"Tens of thousands of years ago? Golden Age technology? Is it an STC Template?"

"That's unclear. They only said there's some kind of Golden Age AI technology on that planet, something they can't understand."

"Then that's it."

He'd been nodding off, and now someone had brought him a pillow.

At humanity's current rate of growth, raising a massive army was almost impossible. There was only one way to rapidly advance technology: expand the colonies, take in more humans, and build more factories, thereby making the most of the Synapse Condenser.

But here, population growth faced many constraints.

Governing the territories they conquered, drafting laws, and maintaining control all demanded a great deal of Gamma World's attention.

However, if they had an STC Template left behind from the Golden Age, they could turn an entire planet into a Forge World almost overnight. Production efficiency would increase countless times over, more than making up for some of humanity's shortcomings.

[Sudden Event: Golden Age STC Template]

[An ancient technological artifact from the Dark Age of Technology. Legend has it that the super artificial intelligences of the Dark Age of Technology could automatically build all kinds of production lines and products once an STC Template was activated, even if not a single person remained on the planet. In this Age of Darkness, whoever uncovers one will reap unimaginable rewards. However, its location is not favorable to you. Perhaps you should give up.]

The Imperium's Leman Russ Tanks, as well as some Warhound-class and Warlord-class machines, had been built from STC Templates unearthed on those planets.

A single STC Template from the Golden Age could even prompt the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars and the Imperium of Man to launch a medium-scale expedition.

Its value was self-evident.

"There's one more thing."

"Some extremists broke into Utopia. According to their account, they're from the Death Cult and are loyal servants of the Imperium of Man."

"..."

The Death Cult.

It was an extremist sect made up of civilians from across the Imperium of Man. Some of its members might worship the Blood God, some the Emperor, while others worshipped the skull seated upon the Golden Throne as the Reaper.

These cults were utterly extreme in their practices: flaying, drinking blood, slaughter, and torture.

Even the Blood God of Chaos would be shocked by their self-mutilation and massacres.

They were part of the Imperium's dark side. The Imperium denied their existence, while they understood that the Imperium would never acknowledge them. As a result, those in power sometimes used them as assassins or scapegoats. This indulgence had even given rise to Corpse-worshipping Cults and other, more extreme sects.

Some Death Cult devotees possessed such exceptional martial skills that they could kill a Space Marine with nothing but their mortal strength.

Utopia had no contact with the outside world, so there was no way a Death Cult could have appeared there. Yet now, so many Death Cult devotees had suddenly shown up.

There was no need to think twice. This had to be connected to the Rogue Trader.

Still, compared with an STC Template from the Golden Age, these people weren't worth much.

"Dispose of them."

As for the Rogue Trader...

"Dispose of them too, while you're at it!"

He had so many important matters left to settle. He had no time to play games of covert slaughter and political intrigue with them. And as for recruiting them, he might as well cultivate his own people.

Cisrain continued toward the Governor's Mansion, contemplating more important matters. These trivialities shouldn't take up any of his attention.

"Cyrus's squad has already volunteered to go."

Cyrus and his squad had volunteered?

Then he'd leave those people to them.

Rogue Trader ships usually had a number of lowborn aboard.

There weren't many of them, but their years of working aboard ships made them better suited than ordinary laborers to Tangle's mines and factories.

"They can handle everything. As for the rest, send anyone useful to Tangle Planet to work in the mines. Once the mission is complete, have everyone come to the Governor's Mansion for a meeting."

"Understood." Mina nodded. The governor wanted to make the most efficient use of the personnel available. The Social Administration Office had relevant regulations for deciding how to assign them.

Mina watched the governor hurry away, followed by the heads of the Administration Department and the Military Administration Department.

As Chief Financial Officer, she had to be involved in every task.

The expenses and resources for every project had to pass through her hands.

"Gamma World's debt has exceeded its limit by far too much. It seems that only obtaining a Golden Age technological artifact could ease the financial pressure. Otherwise, Gamma World's finances will go bankrupt before we even fight back against Chaos. I hope the information we got from the Xenos will bring us something valuable."

Aboard the Rogue Trader's fleet.

Cyrus rode in a drop pod toward the Rogue Trader's fleet.

They had already gained plenty of experience seizing ships and taking them for themselves during their boarding actions against the Tau Empire.

"Captain, Talon killed a retainer of the Byrne Dynasty."

"The Byrne Dynasty? I don't think it's in the database."

"Then forget about them. They've already been corrupted by Chaos. Clean out those infected by Chaos, then see what else on the ship might be useful. Maglin, do you sense anything?" Cyrus looked at Maglin. Maglin was one of the Space Marines in the squad with a strong talent for Psionics. To avoid corruption, he had been in frequent contact with the Blood Raven Chapter's chaplain, and might even have a chance of becoming the next chaplain.

"No."

If Chaos deliberately concealed itself, it was difficult for a Psyker to sense it.

It seemed the Prototype the governor had given Talon really was useful.

It could detect the power of Chaos when Maglin couldn't.

If every Space Marine had one of those devices,

its effect against Chaos would be like humanity having ten extra Legiones Astartes.

Unfortunately, building something like that required Xenos technology from a Necron Tomb World.

And the few Necron Tomb Worlds they currently knew about were quite far away. It would be too difficult to dig up their tombs.

[Collision imminent]

Everyone's thoughts snapped back to the present.

The drop pod slammed at an angle into the Rogue Trader's fleet.

Clang!

The hatch began to open with a metallic sound.

A red figure appeared.